Omaha Poker Basics: Starting Hands

Find out what the most playable hands in Omaha poker are with this list…

Hand selection means that you need to look for the most equity possible and you have to remember; your opponents will have the same potential for pairs and the ability to draw on a combo. If you don’t have good cards, you should immediately assume that you’re relying on luck to make things work for you. That means you’ll be gambling instead of playing poker.

These are considered to be the top thirty Omaha starting hands. As you’ll see, many of them are two pair, but there’s also some that give you the chance to control the board through “the wrap,” where you open yourself up for a straight. All of these hands are double suited for the purposes of this list and as you can see, big pairs still hold a lot of value.

As this list shows, Omaha poker players need to make sure they keep an eye on the potential for redraws, which is why AAJT is the second best hand, ahead of the power duo of AAQQ that would be the suspicion of most amateur Omaha players who have made the transition from Texas Hold ‘Em. Yes, you will have to be patient to see these hands, but knowing their relative value can give you an idea of how to approach the game.

Many people feel that Omaha is a post-flop game, and for good reason. Even the hands under this list can become very valuable once the first three community cards hit. Omaha gives you greater chances for straights and flushes, which means that you need to have a good hand to call, much less raise unless the table has been proven to be full of fish.